Improvement in needle-sharpeners



C. E. LOMBARD.

} Needle-Sharpener.

No. 201,115. Pa tented,March 12,1878.

Wkness 66.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

CHARLES E. LOMBARD, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN NE EDLE-SHARPENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,115, dated March 12, 1878; application filed August 2, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. LOMBARD,

of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Needle-Sharpeners, of which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective'view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the same inclosed in a shell or tube. Fig. 3 represents a sectional view. Fig. 4 represents a sectional view of a modification. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged sectional view, showing the relation of the needle to the grindin g-surface.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures refer to like parts. The invention has for its object to provide a simple, compact, and cheap device for sharpening flat and twist as well as round pointed sewing machine needles, and imparting a smoothly -finished and sharp point to such needles, without the necessity of special skill or care on the part of the operator.

To this end my invention consists in a needle-sharpener combining a guide adapted to direct the needle in a longitudinal direction when it is moved or reciprocated by the operator, and a grinding-surface which is arranged beyond the inner end of the needle-guide, and extending across the axial line of the opening, and is adapted to form a bearing for the inner end of the needle, and deflect the same by bending the shank as it is reciprocated, the deflection being sufficient to cause the point of the needle to lie against the grinding-surface at a proper angle, the elasticity of the needle holding the point in yielding contact with-the grinding-surface at all times.

My invention also consists in certain details, all of which I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawings, (t represents the grindingsurface, which may be of any desired material, such as roughened cast-iron, or any suitable stone. b represents the needle-guide, which consists of an orifice adapted to receive and guide a needle longitudinally without allowing it to move laterally.

The grinding-surface a and guide I) are so arranged relatively to each other that there shall be an intervening space, a, greater than the diameter of the needle, so that a needle inserted into the guide will be guided thereby diagonally against the grinding-surface, the latter being inclined or diagonal to the path in which the needle is guided.

In sharpening a needle with the improved device, the operator inserts the needle into the guide b until the point comes in contact with the surface a, and reciprocates the needle 1ongitudinally therein until the sharpening is effected.

As the needle is moved inwardly its point comes in contact with the inclined grindingsurface, and is deflected thereby. This deflection causes the elasticity of the needle to hold the point thereof against the grinding-surface with a yielding pressure, which is sufficient to insure the sharpening of the point by its I'llbbing contact with the grinding-surface without danger of breakage or injury.

The operator is thus enabled to sharpen the needle on one side at a time, which is obviously the only way a flat or twist pointed needle can be sharpened. In sharpening roundpointed needles, the operator can rotate the needle during the operation, if desired.

The inclination of the grinding-surface is preferably greater than that of the sides of the needle at the point thereof, so that the lateral deflection of the needle will not throw the point outof contact with the grindingsurface.

It will be seen that the cutting-surface must be unobstructed, so as to permit the needle to be moved with perfect freedom over it, and that the space between said face opposite the opening and the inner end of the latter mustbe greater than the diameter of theneedle, in order that the shank may be bent, as a more limited space would cause the bending of the needle only at the point.

I prefer to make the grinding-surface and the guide in one piece and in duplicate, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In doing this I take a body, 0, of the desired material, (cast-iron being preferred,) and form recesses d d in opposite sides thereof, one side of each recess forming the grinding-surface a, this side being suitably corrugated or roughened when the body 0 is made of metal. I then form the guides 12 bydrilling holes from the ends of the body 0 into the: recesses d, these holes being; preferably of different sizes, so to adapt the device to twoisizes of needles; 7 The ends of the body c are preferably rounded and pol ished around the guides 12, so that the point: of the needle may beinserted' into the guides easily andwithout injury. s 1 The device is adapted to shown in Fig.1; "but I prefer to inclose the body 0 in a shell or tube, 0, which fits the pe I 'riphery of the body closely, as shown in Figs;

' 2 and3, this shell closing in the ;recessesd,: and thus forming spaces, which'are preferably;

' filled with powdered emery, (or other like substance adapted-toassist the grinding opera-- dered material is employed, I provide the guides b with a suitable packing, vf, adapted to prevent the escape of'tliepowder, thismaterial being felting, sponge, or other expausi :ble material inserted in a'eompressed sendi-v -:tion into cavities g inthe toaw, or otherwise applied in such manner asto form barriersacross the guidesb, whieh willyield to allow the needletopass through said guides,and 1 expand and prevent theescape of: the powderwhen'the needle is withdrawn, The powder I is; thus securely confined, and constitutes a 7 usefilil adjunct to the grinding surface, as will be readily seeinbesides keeping theineedle in;

V, J If desired,aspringyhma ylbevappliedto the'devioaias shown in Fig- 4, toipres's the a bright and polished condition.

be used in the forrna sewing-machine. It can bez'operated by any personwithout special care or skill, as the op- 1 v v eratorhasonlyto move thevneedleinand out. 7 V v 7 It is adapted to sharpen a-iflat as well as a L 1 round pointed needle, and to remove the hook that; is often formed b the turning or bending Y of thepoiut of the needle" when thelatter ac- :cidentally strikes the "throat-plate orother rigid part of a sewing machiner 'All the marks f of wear made by the grinding surface are lengthwise iofthe needle, so that thelatter is kept in condition lie-penetrate thestoclr tothe 1 7 best advantage in sewinga, The device is com- 7 paot,and is therefore adapted to be inserted v into the handle of another llOO];-j3fl(3h,f0f in Y Y r stance, as screw-driver.

I claim as my invention 1; The combination, with the unobstructed sharpening-face a, of a guide having an open- 7 ing, 5, at an angle tosaidfaee, with an; inter V evening space greater than the thickness of the q 1 i needle, the whole reiatively :arrangedto in sure i the bending of: the needle atthe shank inpra; V 1" 7 portion to the extent to which it is thrust be.

yond' the inner end of the guide-opening, as

2.. Theinclined grinding suriacei a the s I needle-guide b having'an expansiblepaeking,

'f, combined-with the: inolosing-shell amid powdered filling heldin the space, between the Y L ,7 grinding-surfaceandtheinclosingshelhsubV;

stantially as and for the purposespecified; 1

' The combination ofthespring 11, with, the grinding surface a 1 and needle-guide 12, sub 1 ,stantiallyjas described. 7

In testimony whereof-Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. LOMBARD.

Witnesses:

G. EBROWN, F. W. KILBURN. 

